91: Chapter 91 Don't be afraid, Brother Chen will take care of it.

Chapter 91: Don't Be Afraid, Brother Chen Will Make a Move

After confirming that the boy surrounded by this group of Shadow-Rift Cats was Li Heng, Lin Chen didn't have time to think. A thought surfaced: "Nuomi, go help."

"Ying wu!"

The Songsong Dog received the command and darted out from Lin Chen's arms, instantly transforming into a white arrow released from a bowstring.

After breaking through to the second rank, the Songsong Dog's speed improved by another level, crossing dozens of meters in an instant and moving so fast in the night that it left a trail of afterimages.

Its target was a Shadow-Rift Cat about to pounce on the Stone Armor Lizard from the side.

Bang!

This Shadow-Rift Cat, never expecting an attack from the side, was struck solidly in the ribs by a fierce Swift Shadow Flash from the Songsong Dog. It flew sideways, screaming, slammed into a rock pillar, and rolled onto the ground, unable to get up.

The Songsong Dog looked ahead with disdain and didn't stop. Its chest swelled, and it raised its head to unleash a series of barks containing mental shock: "Woof woof woof woof——!!"

The invisible sound waves of the Puppy Roar spread out, precisely covering the remaining Shadow-Rift Cats.

These fierce Shadow-Rift Cats suddenly froze in unison, the savage light in their eyes scattering. Their pouncing rhythm was disrupted, and they appeared briefly confused and dizzy.

"Huh? Is that Brother Chen?!"

The sudden appearance of the Songsong Dog caused Li Heng's pressure to drop sharply. He looked closely and, seeing the holy ring hanging on the Songsong Dog's neck, revealed a look of joy.

He had only ever seen this thing, whose purpose he didn't know, worn by Brother Chen's Songsong Dog.

Lin Chen and the other three appeared shortly after.

"Hehe, isn't this our Young Eagle Cup runner-up? Why are you in such a sorry state?"

Zhou Ming walked at the front with his head held high. He looked up and down at the slightly disheveled Li Heng, an undisguised playful smile on his face, and teased, deliberately drawing out his tone.

Hearing this familiar and annoying voice, Li Heng's face stiffened instantly. He glared fiercely at Zhou Ming, their gazes colliding with sparks flying.

He gritted his teeth and said: "Zhou Ming, if you ever use my name to post on the forum again, I'll take you down with me."

Zhou Ming shrugged his shoulders and said with a grin: "I'm so scared."

Lin Chen coughed lightly.

"Understood, Brother Chen, I'll help immediately!"

Zhou Ming instantly returned to normal. He restrained his playful expression and waved his hand: "Flame Eagle, we're going to help too."

"Cree~"

The Flame Eagle shrieked and dove, its burning talons fiercely clawing at two Shadow-Rift Cats that had been slowed down by the Puppy Roar, forcing them to dodge in a panic and throwing their formation into further disarray.

The Songsong Dog charged again, transforming into a streak of white light as it fiercely rammed into the leader, a second-rank Shadow-Rift Cat. Its petite body erupted with immense power, and with a great force, it sent its opponent flying, crashing heavily to the ground, unconscious.

The situation reversed instantly. Seeing the situation was unfavorable, the remaining Shadow-Rift Cats quickly jumped onto the rock pillars and disappeared into the dark, rocky terrain after a few leaps, fleeing for their lives.

Four Shadow-Rift Cats lay unconscious on the ground, which was covered in traces of battle.

"Ying wu?"

The Songsong Dog walked with a light gait toward the four Shadow-Rift Cats. It looked at them with disdain and raised its paw, slapping their bodies hard.

Do you surrender?

The Shadow-Rift Cats were still unconscious and didn't react at all.

Seeing that the opponents actually refused to answer, the Songsong Dog narrowed its eyes slightly and raised its paw high again.

Lin Chen's voice rang out just in time: "Come back, they are already unconscious."

He paused and added: "In the future, you don't need to ask them if they surrender."

"Ying wu~"

The Songsong Dog changed from its disdainful expression and nodded obediently. It then walked with a reserved gait back to in front of Lin Chen, allowing him to stroke its head as praise.

The others watched the Songsong Dog's shift in behavior with strange expressions.

"Huff—hah"

Seeing that the crisis was resolved, Li Heng let out a long sigh of relief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. The Stone Armor Lizard also lay exhausted on the ground, panting.

He walked quickly to Lin Chen, his face full of joy: "Brother Chen, why are you here too?"

Lin Chen didn't answer right away. Instead, he scanned Li Heng and the short-haired girl beside him, pursed his lips, and hesitated in his tone: "I asked you a couple of days ago if you were free this weekend to hang out, and your answer was that you had things to do and couldn't spare the time."

He paused and smiled: "So this is the thing you were referring to."

Being stared at by Lin Chen, Li Heng chuckled. He then put his arm around the short-haired girl's shoulder, brought her in front of the group, and introduced her: "Brother Chen, this is my university classmate, Xiaoya."

"This time, I arranged with her in advance to come here for training."

Xiaoya clearly hadn't recovered from the danger just now. She nodded timidly at Lin Chen and the others, her voice delicate: "H-hello, thank you for your help."

Lin Chen's gaze lingered for a moment on Li Heng's hand resting on Xiaoya's shoulder and on Xiaoya's reaction—shy but not pulling away—and then looked at the distance between the two, which was clearly beyond that of ordinary friends. He understood in his heart.

It's only been a little over a week since school started...

And when Li Heng put his arm around Xiaoya, he keenly noticed the gaze cast by Zhou Ming. He slightly lifted his chin and leaned even closer to Xiaoya.

Zhou Ming got anxious.

He looked left and right. Su Qingyuan and Zhang Xiaoxiao noticed the gaze and quietly stepped back two paces.

Zhou Ming hardened his heart and decisively walked to Lin Chen's side, raising his head to look at Li Heng.

Lin Chen: "?"

Subsequently, Lin Chen also stepped back half a pace, leaving Zhou Ming to face Li Heng and Xiaoya alone.

Li Heng tilted his head proudly, then cleared his throat and introduced him to Xiaoya: "Xiaoya, this is my brother I often mention to you, Lin Chen."

"He is the number one Beast Tamer of his year in Qinglan City, the youngest recipient of the Qinglan City Management Bureau's third-class medal and commendation, the number one in the Qiming Beast-Taming Academy with a massive lead, dominating with 1450 points..."

Lin Chen expressionlessly interrupted: "There isn't enough room for so many people to stand here."

To prevent Li Heng from continuing his irrelevant bragging, he quickly changed the subject: "By the way, how did you get into a conflict with this group of Shadow-Rift Cats?"

Mentioning business, Li Heng's expression became serious: "Brother Chen, it's because we were tailing them and got discovered."

"Why were you tailing this group of Shadow-Rift Cats?" Lin Chen raised an eyebrow.

Li Heng explained: "We discovered that this group of Shadow-Rift Cats is very strange. They seem to be organizing to collect desolate star crystals!"

He pointed to the ground: "Look, there are still desolate star crystals on the ground that they didn't have time to take away."

Lin Chen and the others followed his guidance and looked, indeed discovering two or three abandoned desolate star crystals.

"I was curious about what they were collecting desolate star crystals for, so I followed them. As a result, I got too close and accidentally got discovered, and then we started fighting."

He spread his hands, his face full of helplessness: "I didn't expect this group of Shadow-Rift Cats to be quite powerful. Plus, with their large numbers, it was very difficult for me to handle. Fortunately, you appeared in time."

Zhou Ming crossed his arms and said indifferently: "You say you were curious about what they were collecting desolate star crystals for, but actually you wanted to steal them, right?"

Li Heng's expression didn't change, and he said matter-of-factly: "Can a Beast Tamer's affairs be called stealing?"

Ignoring their conversation, Lin Chen squatted down and picked up an abandoned desolate star crystal, which felt cold in his hand.

The previously encountered Blade-Tail Viper also had a conflict with Shadow-Rift Cats because of desolate star crystals. Coupled with this group of Shadow-Rift Cats collecting them, what were these pets trying to do?

Although desolate star crystals are formed from the decomposition of meteorites that fell from the universe, the special energy contained within them is harmful to pets. To use them, they must be processed first.

desolate star crystals are not breeding resources that help pets grow.

Su Qingyuan suddenly spoke: "Although the energy inside the desolate star crystals is harmful, pets can forcibly absorb this energy by relying on their talents or by bearing a cost."

Her gaze swept over those desolate star crystals, and her voice sounded in the night wind: "This kind of forced absorption can violently stimulate a pet's spirit and body in a short time, bringing about effects similar to berserk or a temporary surge in power."

"But the inert energy and impurities that haven't been completely converted will deposit in the body like toxins and are difficult to eliminate. Long-term accumulation will lead to madness and distortion, and even shorten their lifespan."

Zhou Ming praised: "As expected of Sister Su, you know so much."

The others fell silent.

Lin Chen thought thoughtfully and speculated: "That is to say, these two types of pets are collecting desolate star crystals to temporarily become stronger, and then fight each other?"

Su Qingyuan shook her head: "I don't know."

Li Heng's eyes lit up instantly. He looked at Lin Chen, his expression excited: "Brother Chen, how about it? Want to pull off a big job? There must be quite a few desolate star crystals in their nest."

Lin Chen glanced at the excited Li Heng and Xiaoya, who was shrinking behind him, and asked: "Aren't you going to ask for your friend's opinion?"

Xiaoya poked her head out, her voice small: "I listen to him."

Zhou Ming tilted his head back, opened his mouth wide, and clenched his palms.

Lin Chen looked at Su Qingyuan and Zhang Xiaoxiao again.

Su Qingyuan nodded slightly, and Zhang Xiaoxiao smiled: "Classmate Lin Chen, you call the shots."

Lin Chen nodded: "Alright then, let's make a plan."

A long while later.

The Shadow-Rift Cats that had fallen to the ground woke up one after another.

"Meow wu?"

They shook their still-dizzy heads and looked around vigilantly, discovering that the enemies seemed to have left, and a few desolate star crystals were still scattered on the ground.

A few Shadow-Rift Cats exchanged low cries with each other and quickly reached a consensus.

They quickly picked up the scattered desolate star crystals in their mouths and trotted off in a certain direction, sneakily and eagerly, looking back from time to time, clearly still shaken.

Under the shroud of the pitch-black night, the Wind-Feather Bird ascended silently, and the Songsong Dog tracked the scent of the Shadow-Rift Cats, trotting along in pursuit.

Lin Chen and the others maintained a safe distance, using the cover of the night and the terrain to silently tail the few shaken Shadow-Rift Cats, traveling through the rugged, rocky wasteland.

The terrain became increasingly complex, and huge weathered rocks looked down like silent giants, casting large, heavy shadows.

About half an hour later, the leading Shadow-Rift Cats slowed down and finally dove into the depths of a labyrinth of rocks, naturally piled up with countless gray-brown rocks of various sizes.

"Brother Chen, what do you say?" Zhou Ming asked before Li Heng could.

Lin Chen looked around.

This time he wasn't acting alone, but rather it was an organized, premeditated group action.

He didn't need to be too cautious.

He said: "Let's go straight in. No need to hide anymore. Prepare for battle."

Passing through the pile of rocks, the view suddenly opened up.

Between several particularly huge rocks half-enclosing it, there was an open, flat area.

Dozens of Shadow-Rift Cats were lying or crouching, some licking each other's fur in groups of two or three, while others were tearing at the corpses of small pets dragged from who knows where.

The number of Shadow-Rift Cats was even greater than expected, and most of them looked somewhat restless, their eyes flickering with a ghostly light in the darkness.

And on top of the tallest dark gray giant rock, one figure was particularly eye-catching.

It was a Shadow-Rift Cat whose size far exceeded its peers.

Its shoulder height was nearly twice that of an ordinary Shadow-Rift Cat, its short fur gleaming with a cold, hard luster under the sparse starlight, and its muscle lines were bulging, full of explosive power.

At this moment, the Shadow-Rift Cat leader lay quietly on the giant rock, like a silent king, overlooking its subjects below.

Looking closely, several desolate star crystals of various sizes were placed on both sides of its body.

The Shadow-Rift Cat leader slowly raised its head, silently gazing at the bright moon gradually slanting west in the sky.

The moonlight was like frost, outlining its massive, wild, and powerful silhouette.

The next moment, it lowered its head, used its front paw to nudge a desolate star crystal, and then swallowed it in one gulp without hesitation.

Its throat rolled, and the star crystal entered its belly.

Immediately after was the second one, the third one——it was just like eating candy beans, swallowing three star crystals in succession.

Each time it swallowed one, the fur all over its body would bristle slightly for a moment, and the energy fluctuations radiating from within its body would also fluctuate violently.

A chaotic and violent aura spread out with it as the center, causing some of the relatively weaker Shadow-Rift Cats below to move their bodies uneasily and emit low groans.

"Meow wu——!!!"

The Shadow-Rift Cat leader suddenly raised its head and let out a long, shrill howl toward the bright moon in the night sky.

The sound was sharp and ear-piercing, echoing repeatedly in the pile of rocks, making one's scalp tingle.

But the next moment, the Shadow-Rift Cat leader suddenly sprang up from the giant rock and began to jump, pounce, and roll crazily without any pattern within the narrow area on top of the giant rock!

Its sharp claws scraped against the rock, creating ear-piercing sounds and sparks, its tail whipped the air randomly, the light of reason in its eyes was completely replaced by chaos and brutality, and it made meaningless sounds from its mouth.

It would sometimes slam its head against the rock, sometimes bite wildly at the air, its behavior manic, not at all like a conscious creature.

Everyone who saw this scene frowned, and Zhou Ming muttered in a low voice: "Is it that ghost thing again?"

Lin Chen shook his head.

No, this is definitely not a Dark Species.

This is more like it has been poisoned after inhaling too much toxic energy from the desolate star crystals, just as Su Qingyuan said.

But one thing is certain—there are indeed many desolate star crystals here.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Shadow-Rift Cats seemed to be accustomed to this scene.

They just raised their heads, glanced numbly at the leader going crazy on top of the giant rock, and then continued their own business, licking fur, eating, dozing off——

Not a single one showed surprise, fear, or the intention to step forward and stop it, as if this were just a farce that repeated every day.

"Meow wu!"

Just then, the Shadow-Rift Cat leader stopped its manic movements, looked forward, and directly locked onto Lin Chen and his group, who were no longer hiding their figures after entering the rock pile.

A shriek burst from the depths of its throat, and its gray-white pupils suddenly contracted into dangerous pinpoints.

The next moment, the Shadow-Rift Cat leader's four claws kicked off the rock, and with a bang, several cracks burst open on top of the giant rock.

The Shadow-Rift Cat leader pounced toward Lin Chen and the others in the air at a speed hard for the eye to follow, its sharp claws reflecting a cold light under the starlight, and a foul wind blew from its mouth.

Everyone looked calm, except for Xiaoya, who was experiencing this kind of battle for the first time; her face turned pale, she subconsciously gripped Li Heng's sleeve tightly, and her body trembled slightly.

Li Heng patted the back of Xiaoya's hand with his other hand and smiled: "Don't be afraid, Brother Chen will make a move."